Bayern Munich host Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2020-21 Bundesliga campaign at the Allianz Arena on Saturday, with both sides currently occupying Champions League qualification positions.
Bayern's 4-1 win at Arminia Bielefeld last weekend took them up to second in the table, with Frankfurt retaining their unbeaten record with a 1-1 draw at FC Koln.
Match preview
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Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller both bagged themselves a brace in the comfortable win at Arminia, with the only blemish during the victory being Corentin Tolisso's late red card for a professional foul.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was in inspired form once again, superbly denying Fabian Klos from close range when his side were only two goals in front.
Bayern's real statement win of the week, though, was a 4-0 hammering of Atletico Madrid in the Champions League group stage on Wednesday. Prior to the game there were doubts whether it would go ahead after Serge Gnabry's late positive coronavirus test, with Bayern's players and staff each having to undergo an additional one to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
Rather than allow this to unsettle them, however, Hansi Flick's side showed the mentality of champions. Joshua Kimmich's brilliantly lofted through-ball was controlled and finished to perfection by Kingsley Coman, who may not have started had Gnabry been available, before the Frenchman teed up Leon Goretzka to smash home into the bottom corner for a 2-0 lead heading into the break.
Tolisso put his red card at the weekend behind him with an absolutely sensational strike from 30 yards, before Coman completed the rout with his second of the game after a fine solo run on the counter to ensure he will be firmly in Flick's thinking for the upcoming test against Frankfurt.
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Adi Hutter will perhaps have been disappointed his side could not hold onto their lead after Andre Silva's third goal of the season on the stroke of half time, but a share of the points was probably a fair result in Cologne and at least ensured Frankfurt remain unbeaten.
That record will come under serious scrutiny in Munich, though, with Bayern winning 11 of their last 12 Bundesliga matches at the Allianz Arena since last losing there to Bayer Leverkusen last November.
It is reasonable to think Hutter will be closely studying Hertha Berlin's 4-3 defeat at Bayern prior to the international break for any weaknesses he may look for his side to exploit, with Hertha twice coming from behind before Lewandowski's fourth of the match in the dying seconds took the game away from them.
Daichi Kamada, who was adjudged by VAR to have been fouled for Silva's penalty against Koln, is certainly a player who can hurt Bayern on the break, with strikers Silva and Bas Dost ready in waiting to convert any chances which come their way.
Bayern Munich Bundesliga form: WLWW
Bayern Munich form (all competitions): LWWWWW
Eintracht Frankfurt Bundesliga form: DWWD
Eintracht Frankfurt form (all competitions): WDWWD
Team News
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Tolisso begins the first of his two-match ban for his red card at Arminia, while Gnabry will be missing for the next few games after his positive coronavirus test.
Youngsters Armindo Sieb and Tanguy Nianzou are unavailable with muscular injuries, but Kimmich should retain his place from the midweek win over Atletico after missing last week's league match to attend the birth of his second child.
With Gnabry out of action for the next couple of weeks, Flick must choose whether to risk Leroy Sane after his recent injury, or hand Douglas Costa his first start since returning to the club on loan from Juventus.
For the visitors, Hutter is still without arguably his most creative player in Filip Kostic, whose ligament fissure is likely to keep him on the sidelines for a few more matches. Steven Zuber has ably deputised for the Serbian in recent weeks, but Amin Younes may receive a start after his lively cameo at Koln.
Ragnar Ache, Jetro Willems and Felix Irorere are also likely to be unavailable with knocks, leaving arguably Hutter's biggest decision as to whether to continue to pair Dost and Silva in attack, or perhaps bring one out of the side in order to allow Frankfurt to pack the midfield.
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Pavard, Sule, Alaba, Hernandez; Kimmich, Goretzka; Costa, Muller, Coman; Lewandowski
Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Trapp; Abraham, Hasebe, Hinteregger; Toure, Rode, Ilsanker, Younes; Kamada; Dost, Silva
We say: Bayern Munich 3-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
This match tends to provide plenty of goals in recent times, with Frankfurt's 5-1 hammering of Bayern last season proving to be Niko Kovac's final game in charge.
The reverse fixture saw Bayern run out 5-2 winners with Flick in charge, while Frankfurt pushed the Bavarians all the way before losing 2-1 in last season's DFB Pokal semi-final. We think they can give Bayern another good test this weekend, especially having had a week's rest, but ultimately Bayern's attack will prove too strong in the end.
